Weapons and a Leaf
by Mali
Summary: This is my first and I welcome flames! This is just a lost in Tortall kinda thing. I got tired of people popping up in totall and everything works out great soo I wrote this and well...(chapter 3 up R&R, tell me if I should continue, I don't think I will)
1. Only the Beginning

Weapons and a Leaf  
  
Chapter 1: Only the Beginning  
  
By: Mali  
  
"Damn" the girl swore and swung around to capture the stray line that had just escaped and wacked her in the head. The cruel icy wind whipped around and through her cloths as she struggled to find the line that was now thrashing around frantically. After several more attemps she caught it and belayed it to the closest pin. Aura walked down the deck carefully avoiding the people working furiously around her, gathering her pride back around her non-conciensly. "Captain" she hollered when she was in ear-shot of her mother.  
  
"What?" her adopted-mother replied while concentrating on something else, her dull blue eyes focused elsewhere.  
  
"The winds too strong for us today" Aura said barley audable above the howling wind.  
  
Leilana considered this for a moment, looking around at the people straining themselves, and then shouted to Aura adopted Dad "John!" to get his attention, seeeing that she captured she continued "Do you think" she stoped. When John started to come over she hastily explained that they would be lowering the sails.  
  
*Its almost like asking for help is a crime to her* Aura thought sadly *Thats the closest I've seen her to asking.* Aura couldn't voach for much time to know her new mother, she hade only been adopted less than a year ago. *Has it been that much time* Aura thought absently as she helped one of the passengers belay a line. *It all feels so natural. All this sailing* She then sighed and went off to help someone else.  
  
((((((((  
  
*Is it just me or is everyone wereing longer shirts?* Aura observed to herself as she climed above deck with dinner in one hand and a drink in the other. The Zodiac was ancored in a beautiful bay and just as Aura emerged from the chart-room the sun was setting, giving a deep rich gold glow to everything. *In fact* she mused * no one is wearing lose baggy pants, at all* she then snorted *Not an unusual habit for grandparents*  
  
"Shit" she swore under her breath as she spoted a group of the passengers lowering a kayak the wrong way. "Lauren, Meredith, Jay!" she said a little loud to get their attention, and then proceded to show them how to lower it without bumping the side of Zodiac. She walked away uncomfortable, Jay kept on staring at her. Something she did not like, at all. In fact Aura didn't like boys, period. *Well I can't wait to dump them tomorrow. Maybe when they are gone people will start acting and dressing normal again.* she thought as she prepared for bed. She went to sleep wondering about everyones strange behavior. 


	2. The Change

Weapons and a Leaf  
  
Chapter 2: The Change  
  
By: Mali  
  
Aura yawned sleepily and carefully climbed out of the top bunk, careful not to wake her bunk partner, Cathy, the cook. She jumped when she was a few feet from the bottom, landing animal-like, still trying to be careful. But the last thump seemed to do the trick for waking up Cathy.  
  
"My dear, what are you doing at this dreadful hour?" Cathy asked groggily, sitting up straight.  
  
"What did you just say?" Aura responded confused. Cathy never used proper English, got up early {for all she was the cook} and she never ever sat up straight.  
  
"Wa?" Cathy said slumping.  
  
"Nothing" Aura said quietly, immensely confused.  
  
"K" Cathy said and promptly fell back asleep.  
  
Aura shook her head, turned around and opened her bag getting out clean cloths. Too embarrassed to change in front of Cathy {even asleep} she quickly walked to the bathroom, changed and stumbled up the steps to go up deck, all while puzzling Cathy's weird moment. *That's weird* Aura turned her thoughts to the change of radar equipment. *What's wrong with it? It's not showing all of the things we need to see and it looks differently.* She shook her head again and walked up on deck. She dismissed the problems as she spotted Sean sipping his coffee staring at the rising sun. When he herd her approach the red head turned his face toward Aura, then quickly turned his attention back to the dimly burning sun.  
  
"How did you sleep?" Aura asked shyly.  
  
"Ghdklp" Sean mumbled.  
  
"Barbie?" Aura replied with a smile using their special way of saying pardon.  
  
"In reply Sean quickly glanced at her and said "Good" a little louder and clearer but not much.  
  
"What's wrong with p-you?" Aura said part concerned part exasperated.  
  
"Huh?" Sean said dumbly like the volume raise in Aura's voice snapped him out of a daze.  
  
"Urm, just asking how you slept" Aura mumbled, shy again.  
  
((((((((  
  
Aura's morning was continued like that. People would act really weird and then after she asked them about it they would ask her why back to their normal {and slightly annoying} selves. But as the day continued it seemed to take them longer to snap back. Aura wasn't really disturbed by the strange actions of the crew and passengers {maybe it was just her} but she was sure the world around them was not the same place. Everyone including her were wearing longer shirts and tighter pants. Aura had not recollection of her cloths being this way. The radar instruments where getting steadily less effective and strange looking. The sailing-boat stayed very much the same [if u exclude the engine} but she found her old gameboy replaced by a book on toys, her flashlight by a candle. This was all very overwhelming. But was worst of all no-one noticed or said anything about the changes.  
  
"Time to raise the sails, dear" Leilana said softly from right next to her, yanking her back to reality. That was the other thing, all of the females aboard started acting less out going, while the men started acting like they had control of the ship. Bossing all of the females around. In fact Cathy and the other female passengers had tried to convince her to go down below deck and help with cooking, which they them selves had restored to.  
  
"Of course" Aura said rather quickly when she saw that Leilana was looking at her curiously.  
  
After the sails were raised Aura noticed a final change. Nobody was acting normal and they would not snap out of it. Its like they all turned medieval on my. Men don't respect the women and all of the woman avoid the men and keep to womanly chores. Aura was so overwhelmed she just sorta stopped thinking. Just wandered around doing nothing. But something slapped her out of her daze and keep her out. Their 2 mast schooner was under- attack by a huge pirate fleet. And if the fleet had been phasers from star- trek they were set to kill. 


	3. Havoc

Weapons and a Leaf  
  
Chap 3: Havoc  
  
by Mali  
  
Absolute havoc wrecked on and below deck. Screaming filled Aura's head. Swiftly the pirates approached causing the already frenzied people to go into over drive. Soon the pirates where boarding quiet happy to find little resistance among these idiotic people. *oh no* Aura thoughts turned to wild imagines. Standing still crazy thoughts going through her head she suddenly became very frightened. As the last horrible idea floated pass her head Aura snapped to attention. Spinning around she headed for the least noticeable place on the ship, she soon broke into a run as more of the filthy, shouting pirates boarded the ship. After some quick decisions Aura finally ended up in the anchor room, taking great care not to let anyone see her Aura relaxed sure no one would find her for a least a little while. The stench of something she did not want to know about filled her nose, causing her to sneeze. Aura sat there for at least a few hours, un- aware of the time because her watch had disappeared with the other stuff. Footsteps echoed from up-above *don't let them find me* Aura wished to whoever was listening. Something tugged at her mind trying to convince her to pray to the great mother goddess. *Oh great* Aura thought sadly *I'm about to become a slave and I'm turning into a maniac.* The luck that had allowed her to escape was not still with her. A single ray of light feel across her face as someone up above opened the hatch. She quickly squished herself against the wall, trying to disappear into the shadows. A boot clad foot appeared as its owner carefully stepped down onto the ladder.It hit Aura suddenly that maybe she should be doing something to defend herself, after this thought she started frantically looking around for some sort of weapon. The person {looked like man according to his breeches} was halfway through the the hole, his head and torso still above deck. Finally her eyes came across a strange metal tool. *It'll do* Aura thought grimly as she quietly sprinted across the dim anchor room and gingerly picked it up. Suddenly calm she examined her target. The man was on the regular side, normal height, slightly muscular, with dull blond hair. Slyly she slipped into a little notch that put her directly behind the intruder. When he finally reached the bottom he turned to pear into the murky darkness. Slowly Aura raised her make-do weapon over her head ready to strike. The man slowly started to explore muttering to himself, drawing farther and farther away from Aura's striking distance. Making up her mind to at least knock the pirate out Aura started to follow. Walking on the sides of her feet she was sure he hadn't herd her. Suddenly the man twisted around and lunged for her. Clumsily she brought up the metal thing, panic ran though her as she saw the mans scarred face. Soon she lost control of her movements as the ugly man lunged for her again and again. Soon he had her trapped into a corner. Grinning the man easy knocked her only defense out of her hand. It was if the loss of the cool metal in her hand was the only thing in the world she felt an overwhelming desire to just give up. As a last attempt Aura dodged and lunged for the barely noticeable strip of iron. This evidently surprised the man, the exit being the other way. The attacker though was faster than she had first thought, like lighting he was there, grabbing her and smoothly throwing her over his shoulder. Kicking and squirming Aura tried to escape. Undaunted the man briskly walked over to the hatch and yelled for help, as he had found the last passenger. Someone appeared above, bending down to pick up the resistant Aura.  
  
The Pirates had lined up the remaining crew, having killed the others. Aura wasn't able to look at the others after she had been set down without drawing attention to her. Soon they where all lined up again from tallest to smallest on deck, one line being male (very few males where left from the original crew) and another female. Briskly a tall man who had the look of a captain boarded the torn apart Zodiac. That second Aura laid eyes on him she new he was bad. He had the look of a once-upon-a-time noble. In fact he didn't look at all like a pirate. No eye patch, hook or wooden leg. Almost like an army commander he inspected the lines of the pitiful crew. Mumbling to himself as moved on to each person. It seemed like the healthy people got a positive mumble while the elderly less able people got a negative mumble. It might have been Aura's imagination that was going at the moment, but it seemed to her that this whole lot of pirates where not indeed pirates but slavers. *'Course that what pirates are* she thought panic rises in her throat. Standing on the deck seemed like an entirety. Finally what she assumed was the captain moved and swiftly stepped up onto a box that was conveniently near by. Silence settled upon everything, even the waves seemed to be dimmed. "Wimpy lot we have her today, eh crew?" The captain said his words reaching everyone on the boat. Nobody said anything. "Well here's the deal: either we drown the ship with the passengers or we let the ones in best shape off than then drown them all." Every word help power and Aura knew he wasn't joking. "What do you say crew?" The captain boomed. His shout was replied by every pirate on the deck shouting with all their might "KILL EM' ALL!." 


End file.
